Hello Mayhem,
My name is Mike Young and I operate under my blog’s name of Ozark Photos and/or Young Photography. I have been a serious photographer for about four years now, having dabbled in it prior to that. Photography is still just a hobby for me so any schedules we come up with will have to rotate around my day job.
I enjoy taking photographs and believe in the artistic and journalistic aspects of photography. That is where my favorite photos tend to lead. You can view my work in two locations, ozarkphotos.blogspot.com or ozarkfaces.blogspot.com, where you will see my work as I have moved in different directions.
I have had ambitions of being a portrait or wedding photographer, but it seems everyone is one of those these days. Instead I wish to continue my work on the artistic aspect of photography which gives me the most pleasure and satisfaction.
In keeping with that philosophy, here are the guidelines I will shoot by.
•First and foremost, I am not interested in doing nude shots. That doesn’t mean the work we do will not be “edgy, dramatic or provocative” but I believe there are ways to do this other than nudity.
•I believe in capturing sparks of a model’s personality in the shots I do; so that means we have to talk and get to know one another on a professional basis. If you are not interested in that then you won’t get the shots you want.
•I expect and welcome escorts. I more than likely will shoot with a lighting assistant; your escort could serve that function and will be welcome. If you do not have an escort I will likely bring someone, normally my wife (who is also an accomplished portrait photographer), or one of my teenage daughters (now you know why I don’t do nude shots!
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•Light is key, I prefer to work in early mornings or late evening for natural light photos or on overcast days to provide the dramatic lighting which I prefer. I do have off camera lighting and a very small in home studio for the times those are needed.
•I believe in having fun, models that are stuck up or snobbish will be sent home!
•You are an equal partner in this endeavor. I tend to be overly conservative in my ideas so I need your help to break out of my mold. Your thoughts, ideas and suggestions are always welcome. I enjoy trying new things and having a session which flows with creativity.
•Your success is my goal. I will shoot and process your pictures with this in mind. I want to work with models serious about developing a model portfolio. I can give you some suggestions and assistance with your portfolio compared to industry norms. We can work together to look at pictures you have had taken by other photographers and fill in the gaps to help you move to a higher level in your portfolio.
At this time I prefer to work on a TFCD basis as I work toward being a better “people” photographer. With that said, I do not expect you to be out of pocket for anything. We will discuss potential expenses you may incur prior to any shoot and arrive at an agreement prior to the photo session. After all, we want the actual shoot day to be fun.
Thank you for considering Ozark Photos as your photographer. I will not typically contact any of you for a shoot, preferring you to contact me, unless your looks or style is right for a specific project I am considering. I can be contacted best through Mayhem’s message system or my email address ozarkphotos@sbcglobal.net.
